Air Pollution Impact: Health Costs

Yesterday, I attend a discussion on air pollution. It was interesting event due to the panelist come from two different perspective. The first group is from health economics (Epidemiologist), the second group is from environmental economics (Ecologist). The main speaker (or the third group) is from Economics (economist) that study air pollution.

The challenges that we face such as:
– How to quantify human health in term of monetary e.g 200,000 USD
– How to ensure that policy can be implemented (will developing countries able to follow)
– How is our understanding with the current air pollution pattern

My response, I am quite surprise (still), that a lot of people thinking the air pollution solution, from the perspective in quantitative measurement (market failure, taxation) to health and ecology in general. The biggest challenge I think is not only on the scientific level, but also in implementation level. For example how my country able to react in the same “awareness” like other country did.